Sewing-machine hemmer.



J. HOLTZMANN. SEWING MACHINE HEMMER. APPLIOATION TILED MAY 10, 1913.

1,073,757. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Cowman PLANDCHIAPH Cu..wAsumu'r0N. u. c.

JOHN HOLTZMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SEWING-MACHINE HEMMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Application filed May 10, 1913. Serial No. 766,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OI-IN HoL'rzMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented ordiscovered certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-MachineI-Iemmers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to sewing machine hemmers, and has for its objectto provide an adjustable hemmer adapted to form hems of varying widths,and which is of such construction that adjustments for varying thewidths of the hems may be effected while the machine is running. Indoing certain classes of work it is necessary or desirable, as in makingopen front shirts, to vary the width of a hem in forming a singlecontinuous seam. As this work has heretofore been performed it has beencustomary to make one portion of the hem on one machine and the otherportion of the hem on another machine fitted with a hemmer of adifferent width, this being more convenient than it would be to adjustthe hemmer to a different width, or to change the hemmer for one of adifferent width and thus make the hems of different widths on the samemachine. Such a procedure would require a double handling of the work,in either instance. This objection as to a double handling of the workis avoided by the present invention which provides a hemmer which may beadjusted, to vary the width of the hem, while the machine is running, sothat the character of the hem may be instantly changed, without stoppingthe machine, from a wide to a narrow hem, or vice versa.

The improved hemmer by which this invention may be carried into effectcomprises two clotlrturning and guiding members the distance apart ofwhich may be varied to form hems of different widths. In the preferredembodiment of the invention the scroll portion of the hemmer, by whichthe edge of the cloth is turned under the fold, is fixed, while theopposite cloth-turning and guiding portion of the hemmer is mounted onone arm of a pivoted member or lever the other arm of said pivotedmember or lever, and which is preferably a spring arm, being providedwith means by which it may be grasped by the thumb and finger of theattendant for the purpose of adjustment, while the base plate of thehemmer is provided with a catch into which the said spring arm will snapwhen the pivoted member or lever is adjusted for forming narrow hems,all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view showing one form ofthe invention, and Fig. 2 is a front edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is aplan view of a slightly different form of the invention from that shownin Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a front edge view of the form of the inventionshown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes a base-plate which is preferablyprovided with a slot 13 for the reception of a set-screw by which saidbase-plate may be attached to the work-plate of a sewing machine, saidbase-plate being provided at its end farthest removed from said slotwith a lug 14L adapted to engage a slot or recess in the workplate of asewing machine. Fixedly mounted on the base plate 12, preferably bybeing soldered thereto, is a complete scroll hemmer 15 which is ofwell-known form, and which comprises a depending cloth-turning andguiding scroll portion 16 which turns under the edge of the cloth informing a hem.

Pivotally mounted on the base-plate 12, by means of a pin 17, is amember or lever comprising two arms 18 and 19. The arm 18 is providedwith a cloth-turning and guiding scroll or transversely curved portion20 which is shaped to correspond to that wall or upturned curved scrollportion 21 of the hemmer 15 opposite to the scroll portion 16 thereof,so that the said scroll portion 20 serves the purpose ordinarilyperformed by the side wall or portion 21 of the hemmer in turning andguiding the cloth at a hemming operation. The arm 19 is formed of springmetal, and, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, isprovided with an upstanding part or projection 22 adapted to be graspedby the thumb and finger of the attendant when the two-armed pivotedmember or lever is to be adjusted to vary the distance between the fixedcloth-turning and guiding member 16 and the adjustable cloth-turning andguiding member 20 which is mounted on the arm 18 of the pivoted memberor lever, in forming hems of different widths.

The base plate is provided with a catch consisting of a small plate 23secured thereto and provided with a notch 2-1 adapted to receive aportion of the arm 19 of the pivotvention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thepivoted member or lever 1819 is adjusted to form a wide hem thecloth-turning and guiding member 20 will-be in contact with-the portion21 of thehemmer 15, so that thesaid portion 21 servesas a stop to limitthe. further movement of the said member 20 of the hemmer; while thecloth passing through the hemmer willpress against the inside of saidmember 20 andth'us tend to' hold it against the portion 21 of the hem--mer 15. Inother words, the passingrollor scroll of cloth to form thehem, being confined between the depending left hand fixed scroll portion16 and the upturnedadjustable scroll portion 20, will exert a constantpressure to the right on said scroll portion 20, to maintain it againstthe portion 21, in the form of the inventionshown in Figs. 1 and 2, orto'maintain the stop-screw-25 against the lug 26 in the form of theinvention shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When, however, the adjustmentof thehemmer is to be'changed from wide to-narrow hemming a slightpressure ofthe thumb or finger of the attendant against: the front side of theupstanding part or projection 22 will bring the arm 19 into registerwith the notch 22 so that the said arm will instantly spring into saidnotch whenthe said arm hasbeen moved the proper distance to narrow thehem to a desired width,- causing the cloth turning and guiding member20" toapproach the cloth-turning-and guiding member 16 in performingsuch adjustment;

The adjustment and operation of the form of the invention shownin Figs.3and l'is just the same as that described with reference to the form ofthe invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, excepting that in the constructionshown in Figs. 3' andt the arm 19 is provided with an adjustable stopscrew 25' adapted to abut against a lug 26'on-the plate 23 provided'withthe catch notch24,

this construction providing for making wide hems ofsomewhatdifferentwidths, depending upon the position of adjustmentof'thesaid stop screw'25 which isytapped'in-the portion 27 of the saidarm19. F or convenience of adjustment, in this form'of the invention,the arm 19 is-preferably provided with-a knob 28' which may be graspedby the thumb andfinger of the attendant in lifting saidarm-out of itscatch notch 242 From the foregoing it will be understood that when theimproved hemmer is at tached to a sewing machine inoperative re lationto the stitch-forming mechanism thereof, with.the hemmer in front of theneedle of'the machine, an adjustment of the hemmenvto-vary the distancebetween the fixed cloth-turning and guiding member 16 and.the,.-adjustab1e cloth-turning and guiding member 20 may be instantly effected,while themachine is running, for the purpose of changing from a wide toa narrow hem, or vice versa, thus enabling a. con tinuous hem ofvvarying widths to be .made at a continuous or uninterrupted operation,

and thereby facilitating and expediting that. classof'workiin which itis desirable to vary the width of a continuous hem at" certain partsthereof.

The invention is not to be. understood asbeing limited to the details ofconstructionherein-shown andidescribed, as such details may be variedwithout departing from' the scope of: the invention as defined by theclaims hereunto appended.

Having thus described my invention I claimand desire to securebyLetters. Patent:

1; An adjustable sewing machinehemmer comprisinga complete fixed scrollhemmer having depending and upturned portions, and an upturned scrollmember arranged between the upturned and depending portions of saidcomplete hemmer and adjustably mounted sothat: the distance-between saidfixed depending portion; and said; lastnamed: upturned scroll member maybe varied, combinedwitha two-armed lever. on one armof whichsaidadjustable upturned scroll member is mounted.

2." An adjustable sewing machine hemmer comprising acomplete fixedscroll. hemmerhaving depending and upturned por= tions, and an upturnedscroll member arranged between the upturned and depend ingportions ofsaidcomplete hemmer and adjustably mounted so that the distance betweensaid Ffixed depending portion andsaid last namedupturned scroll membermay be varied, combined with atwo-armed lever on onearm of which saidadjustable upturned scroll member is mounted, and means for holdingsaid'lever indifierent positions of adjustment. 7 i

3. An adjustable sewing machine hemmer comprisinga complete fixedscrollshemmer having depending and upturned portions,.

and an upturned scroll member arranged between theupturned anddependingportionsof'said complete hemmer andadjust- ,abl-y mounted sothat the distance between said fixed depending portion andsaid'lastnamed upturned scroll member: may be varied, combined withatwo-armedlever on one arm of which saidadjustable upturned.

scroll member is mounted, and a catchwith -which-:the other arm of'saidlever may be;

'engagedwhen'the hemmer is. adjusted for. rrarrowhems.

4:- An adjustable sewing machine hemmer comprising a complete fixedscroll hemmer having depending and upturned portions, and an upturnedscroll member arranged between the upturned and depending portions ofsaid complete hemmer and adjustably mounted so that the distance betweensaid fixed depending portion and said lastnamed upturned scroll membermay be Varied, combined with a two-armed lever on one arm of which saidadjustable upturned scroll member is mounted, means for holding saidlever in different positions of adjustment, and adjustable means on theother arm of said lever whereby the Working position of said adjustableupturned scroll member may be varied when the hemmer is adjusted forwider hems.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HOLTZMANN. Witnesses:

LOUIS A. HAZARD, JANE C. Srrrnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C."

